Image Licensing
Last updated: 23 October 2026
The photos on PhotoMode belong to the people who took them. This page explains what you may do with a photo you find here, what needs the photographer's say-so, and how to get it. It is a plain-language guide to the Terms of Service; if the two ever disagree, the Terms win.
Who holds the rights
When a member posts a photo, the copyright in that capture stays with them. That covers the framing, the timing, the composition and any editing they did. Posting here gives PhotoMode only the limited permission described in the Terms: to store the photo, display it, resize it and show previews of it, including link previews on search engines and social media for non-adult content. We do not sell photos, we do not hand out licences for them, and we cannot pass on rights we do not have.
What you can do without asking
- View a photo, like it, bookmark it and add it to your own albums.
- Link to it, or share it with the share and preview tools on the site. The photo then stays on PhotoMode, credited to its photographer.
- If the photographer switched on downloads, save a copy for your own use: a desktop wallpaper, private reference, a personal collection. Downloads carry your @username stamp so a copy can be traced back to where it came from. Some photographers also offer a copy without the stamp; that is still for personal use unless they tell you more.
What needs the photographer's permission
Unless the photographer has said otherwise in writing, a photo is all rights reserved. Ask first before you:
- repost, re-upload or mirror it on another site, channel or feed;
- use it in anything commercial: ads, merchandise, prints, products, paid content, a monetised video or stream;
- edit it and publish the result, or remove the stamp or credit from a download;
- collect photos in bulk, or use them to train or fine-tune an AI or machine-learning model.
When a photographer does give you permission, credit them as @username with a link back to the photo, unless you agreed something different.
How to ask for permission or a licence
PhotoMode does not run a licensing marketplace. We do not set prices, take payments or grant permission on anyone's behalf, and we are not a party to any deal between you and a photographer. To ask:
- Open the photo and go to the photographer's profile.
- Reach them through the links or contact details they have shared there, or leave a comment on the photo if they have not shared any.
- Say what you want to use, where, for how long, how you will credit them, and whether you are offering payment.
- Keep their answer in writing. An email or a saved message is enough.
For photographers
You decide how your work can be used. If you want to allow more than the defaults above, say so in the photo's caption or on your profile, for example "free for non-commercial use with credit". A clear written statement from you replaces the defaults for that photo. If you would rather nobody keeps a copy, leave downloads switched off in the photo's settings. You can delete a photo at any time and it disappears from PhotoMode, although we cannot recall copies that someone saved earlier while downloads were on.
The game behind the photo
A photo is the photographer's work, but what it shows is usually someone else's: the game's world, characters, models and art belong to its developer and publisher. Many publishers allow non-commercial screenshots and fan content and restrict commercial use, but every one has its own rules. If you plan anything beyond personal use, you may need the publisher's permission as well as the photographer's, so read the publisher's content policy first. PhotoMode is not affiliated with or endorsed by any game publisher or developer. Original characters created by members belong to the member who created them.
Reporting misuse or infringement
If a photo here uses your work without permission, or you think it breaks someone's rights, use the Report button on the photo or write to [email protected]. Send the link to the photo, say what the problem is and, if you are the rights holder, how you can show it. We review reports, remove content that infringes, and may close the accounts of people who do it repeatedly. The Terms (section 6) cover copyright complaints in more detail.